Health experts have expressed concern over the rising prevalence of genetic disorders in Pakistan, attributed to the high rate of cousin marriages.
This revelation was made by experts from Dow University of Health Sciences during the Swiss-Pakistan Workshop titled “Genomic Disorders and Recessive Disorders.”
According to experts, cousin marriages account for over 65% of all marriages in Pakistan, with the figure rising to 85% in some communities. This trend is leading to a significant increase in genetic disorders across the country.
Professor Saeed Qureshi, Vice Chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, noted that cultural, social, and economic factors drive this trend, which substantially increases the risk of recurring genetic disorders in children.
He further revealed that genetic conditions such as thalassemia, microcephaly, and other hereditary disorders are commonly observed in families with repeated consanguinity.
